Hartford-Fairmont joined with the Empire Machine Company of Elmira, NY, USA, to form Hartford-Empire. Glass-making pioneer Henry W. Ingle joined the company and created the first individual section (IS) machine. IS represented a new standard in automation, and established the core of Emhart Glass’ product range right up until the present day. When the first four IS machines went into operation at the Carr-Lowery Glass Company in Baltimore, the era of automatic container manufacturing had begun.

The 1930s were a decade of ups and downs. Hartford-Empire introduced the Hartford 28 paste-mold machine, which allowed glassmakers to manufacture seamless tumblers and tableware, and the end of Prohibition in the US resulted in a huge resurgence in demand for glass. Building on its success, Hartford-Empire diversified into plastic containers – but also found itself the subject of antitrust proceedings. Hartford-Empire introduced first double-gob IS machine. Post-war prosperity drove demand for glass packaging for food, drink, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and heightened expectations of quality. Hartford-Empire responded with new methods for automatic inspection such as the HE -74 check inspector.

The company took on a new name: 'Emhart Manufacturing Company'. Emhart made its first moves overseas by acquiring Aktiebolaget Sundsvalls Verkstader in Sweden and setting up an office in Zurich under the direction of future President Michel Cornaz. The first six-section IS machine was introduced to the market, along with the HE-127 automatic inspector. Emhart Corporation sold its shares in Plax, but grew dramatically through its merger with American Hardware and the acquisition of several other firms. The glass machinery division developed its multinational presence with new branches and expansions in Sweden, Germany, Italy, the UK, Japan and India, while continuing to introduce new products.

The glass machinery division delivered a host of key innovations during the 1970s, including the first eight-section double-gob machine, the 516 control system and the Advanced IS (AIS) machine. A major milestone was reached with the shipping of the 1000th IS machine from Sundsvall. Meanwhile, Emhart Corporation grew dramatically, becoming a billion-dollar giant.

Ray DeVita became President, and the Emhart family grew with the acquisition of inspection experts Powers and refractory specialists Laclede Christy. Manufacturing of IS machines was consolidated at Sundsvall, while US revenues took a hit due the growing popularity of PET bottles. Headquarters moved across the Atlantic to Zurich, and concerns over a hostile takeover were ended by Black & Decker's successful acquisition of Emhart Corporation.

The 1990s were a time of commercial consolidation and gradual technical improvement. Incoming President Kurt Siegenthaler initiated a transition to a functional company structure, while Bertil Bjugård made big changes to the production setup in Sundsvall. The firm found a new parent in Bucher Industries.

The early years of the 21st century saw a servo-electric revision of the proven IS technology in the form of New IS, and enhanced control system, FlexIS. A new President, Martin Jetter, joined in 2005 and initiated changes including an acquisition on the inspection side, an all-new research centre and a significant joint venture in China.